Scope and freedom are all nice but until you experience the core gameplay, it doesn't mean much. Oblivion was huge and looked great. I was so excited to get into this world and discover all it had to offer. Then I started playing it. The level scaling system was possibly the dumbest idea put into a high-profile modern game I've ever experienced. This one gameplay choice basically ruined the game for me until modders were finally able to fix it. Then you had all the stiff and lifeless interactions between characters and reusing of many levels right until the end of the game. It was a great looking shell with nothing inside.

I'm definitely looking forward to Skyrim but I'm not going to get my expectations too high after the void of fun that was Oblivion.

Yeah, I'd be upset if Dead Space 2 was GOTY, because it would mean a bunch of other stuff would have to disappoint, but it was definitely cool enough to warrant a mention as something that may be forgotten because it came out so early in the year.

I'm on the iPhone so I won't respond fully, but el oh fukkin el at comparing a fps like battlefield 3 to the scope of Skyrim. No, you can't blame the hype on the genre, because there is no other game that comes close to it's magnitude...having never played oblivion, morrowind or daggerfall, I don't feel like you're in any position to write such a lengthy opinionated piece...

I loove uncharted, and I'm currently playing batman every day I have some time off...but as perfect as uncharted can possibly be, it still cant compare with the freedom and creative stimulation of ES V

It's the sheer arrogance in your original post that made me incline to reply to you. I don't have a problem with you claiming Skyrim will win game of the year, I just have a problem with how you've dismissed other titles.

You claim I'm in no position to make such a lenghty opinion, and what exactly gives you the right? I own Marrowind, Oblivion & Fallout 3; the only game I played longer then 10 hours is Fallout. Right now they are collecting dust sitting on my shelves. What exactly makes Skyrim the front-runner? Because you like RPG's? Because of its magnitude & content? Who cares...

I have no interest in role playing games; they took way too long and I don't have the time or patience to put in 200+ hours. I sporadically play video games, so I prefer to finish a game within a week; otherwise I get bored. This mind-set is exactly what's wrong with your post. Gamers have different preferences and just because a certain game is large in magnitude, has a lot of content and is beautifully cratfed, doesn't make it automatically superior to a game who is shorter in length. Just ask Uncharted 2, a game much shorter but has received much more accolades from the gaming industry then anything Bathesda has produced. You act like just because Skyrim fits your preference, you're entitled to make arrogant statements.

I have only finished Fable and Mass Effect 2, as far as RPGs go. If Bathesda were such an innovative company and are market leader; they would have made a flawless RPG game (something they specialize in, clearly). I have yet to be really hooked to any of their products. I don't care about sales either; since a pretty average first person shooter with an online option would outsell Uncharted 2. There is a much greater market for RPGs and first-person shooters; and sales volume doesn't translate into game of the year honours. MW2 sold more copies then U2 (about five times more) and didn't win GOTY.

Which is why your logic is flawed. It's perfectly okay for you to choose Skyrim as your the GOTY, but don't be so arrogant. Especially when you make claims such as "their scope & graphics alone separates them from the rest."

Last I checked Uncharted has been recognized as the most profoundly beautiful game when it comes to graphics & detail. Uncharted 2 won GOTY in 2009, so dismissing Uncharted 3 is a big mistake on your part. Heck right now, both Uncharted 2 & 3 are more critically acclaimed then any game Bathesda produced, ever.

You guys just seem to express your opinion based on your preference, displaying bias rather then objectivity.

Bathesda is not better then Naughty Dog nor Rockstar. Both have atleast two titles that are better then anything Bathesda has introduced to the market. How did their latest project work out for them? Rage was hyped up and turned out nothing more then a beautiful looking game. Look, I am not saying Bethesda isn't a respected developing crew; in fact, they are very accomplished. Me saying Naughty Dog produces better games (in my opinion), isn't a detriment to Bathesda's reputation.

Oblivion, Marrowind & Fallout 3 are very popular RPG games, but they are not the best RPGs out there, IMO. Uncharted 2 is a very popular game, that is considered by everyone the best linear adventure-action title on the market by a significant margin. Naughty Dog produced an outlier to the market and are five days away from releasing a game that could very well beat its predecessor. By an outlier I mean a linear game that has transitioned gamers minds. Look at all the greatest games ever created, how many of them are anything other then an RPG, sandbox-type or 1st-person shooters? Not many, besides Uncharted 2. ;) For you to dismiss Uncharted 3, is the reason I replied (or Arkham Asylum, a game that has scored better reviews then any games Bethsda has ever released). Naughty Dog change a lot of gamers perception about linear games; I don't know too many people that have played Uncharted and did not enjoy it. I know a lot of people who have bought Bathesda's products and were disappointed. Yes their games are beautiful, large and feature a lot of content; but their gameplay suffers. In particular Oblivion.

Great games are great games, dismiss your preference and bias; and maybe you'll feel more enlighted. Or perhaps you were being semi-sarcastic and just boosted Skyrim's stock a little. Who knows...

Ones a 10 out of 10 - from Edge. And the other 98% which is the equal highest score the publication has ever given (Ocarina of Time being the other) - from Official Nintendo Magazine.

2 reviews is hardly a reason to get excited. But I wouldn't be surprised if it shot out to be a runaway favourite.

Also is it just me or does every single decent game from this generation get a consensus score above 9? Getting an 8 or 7 is actually an average or below average grade. Seems like their should be a greater spread.

This year is ending strong for video games. Im currently playing arkham city and dark souls but i dont see how i will have time finishing the other triple aa titles by the end of the year.

It seems ill be on dark souls for a while so skyrim will have to wait and once im done with arkham city, ill be jumping into uncharted 3. Then, I should be done with uncharted 3 once skyward sword is release.

This happens every year for me... I hibernate and play no games (get burnt out from the previous year) for the first six months and then BOOM! I play til my eyes bleed.

It's the sheer arrogance in your original post that made me incline to reply to you. I don't have a problem with you claiming Skyrim will win game of the year, I just have a problem with how you've dismissed other titles.

You claim I'm in no position to make such a lenghty opinion, and what exactly gives you the right? I own Marrowind, Oblivion & Fallout 3; the only game I played longer then 10 hours is Fallout. Right now they are collecting dust sitting on my shelves. What exactly makes Skyrim the front-runner? Because you like RPG's? Because of its magnitude & content? Who cares...

I have no interest in role playing games; they took way too long and I don't have the time or patience to put in 200+ hours. I sporadically play video games, so I prefer to finish a game within a week; otherwise I get bored. This mind-set is exactly what's wrong with your post. Gamers have different preferences and just because a certain game is large in magnitude, has a lot of content and is beautifully cratfed, doesn't make it automatically superior to a game who is shorter in length. Just ask Uncharted 2, a game much shorter but has received much more accolades from the gaming industry then anything Bathesda has produced. You act like just because Skyrim fits your preference, you're entitled to make arrogant statements.

I have only finished Fable and Mass Effect 2, as far as RPGs go. If Bathesda were such an innovative company and are market leader; they would have made a flawless RPG game (something they specialize in, clearly). I have yet to be really hooked to any of their products. I don't care about sales either; since a pretty average first person shooter with an online option would outsell Uncharted 2. There is a much greater market for RPGs and first-person shooters; and sales volume doesn't translate into game of the year honours. MW2 sold more copies then U2 (about five times more) and didn't win GOTY.

Which is why your logic is flawed. It's perfectly okay for you to choose Skyrim as your the GOTY, but don't be so arrogant. Especially when you make claims such as "their scope & graphics alone separates them from the rest."

Last I checked Uncharted has been recognized as the most profoundly beautiful game when it comes to graphics & detail. Uncharted 2 won GOTY in 2009, so dismissing Uncharted 3 is a big mistake on your part. Heck right now, both Uncharted 2 & 3 are more critically acclaimed then any game Bathesda produced, ever.

You guys just seem to express your opinion based on your preference, displaying bias rather then objectivity.

Bathesda is not better then Naughty Dog nor Rockstar. Both have atleast two titles that are better then anything Bathesda has introduced to the market. How did their latest project work out for them? Rage was hyped up and turned out nothing more then a beautiful looking game. Look, I am not saying Bethesda isn't a respected developing crew; in fact, they are very accomplished. Me saying Naughty Dog produces better games (in my opinion), isn't a detriment to Bathesda's reputation.

Oblivion, Marrowind & Fallout 3 are very popular RPG games, but they are not the best RPGs out there, IMO. Uncharted 2 is a very popular game, that is considered by everyone the best linear adventure-action title on the market by a significant margin. Naughty Dog produced an outlier to the market and are five days away from releasing a game that could very well beat its predecessor. By an outlier I mean a linear game that has transitioned gamers minds. Look at all the greatest games ever created, how many of them are anything other then an RPG, sandbox-type or 1st-person shooters? Not many, besides Uncharted 2. ;) For you to dismiss Uncharted 3, is the reason I replied (or Arkham Asylum, a game that has scored better reviews then any games Bethsda has ever released). Naughty Dog change a lot of gamers perception about linear games; I don't know too many people that have played Uncharted and did not enjoy it. I know a lot of people who have bought Bathesda's products and were disappointed. Yes their games are beautiful, large and feature a lot of content; but their gameplay suffers. In particular Oblivion.

Great games are great games, dismiss your preference and bias; and maybe you'll feel more enlighted. Or perhaps you were being semi-sarcastic and just boosted Skyrim's stock a little. Who knows...

Dude, you're claiming people are being bias towards Skyrim yet you're clearly bias towards Uncharted......
You say yourself you don't like RPGs, a whole genre, so you are not in any position to comment on them, you don't like them. You pretty much just said you're a casual gamer.... I'm not, I play every big title that comes out, all of them, regardless of genre.

Trying to claim that Uncharted has more aclaim than any Bethesda game is SO ridiculous I'm almost inclined to just be a total asshole to you for even saying it, but I won't. You need to do some research dude, both Fallout 3 and Oblivion are top 10 in every single "top 100 games" lists/polls on the internet. Both have so many awards it's not even funny. Todd Howard, Bethesda lead, is WIDELY regarded as one of the best games minds EVER.

Sorry but ther mere fact that you say Rage is a Bethesda game shows just how little you know about the industry. Rage was developed by id Software, Bethesda is just the publisher...
Even your claims that Uncharted was 2009 game of the year is very debatable, is was in no way the clear cut choice. Infact MW2 and Batman Arkham Asylum won as many if not more game of the year awards from various sites. Fallout 3 and Oblivion virtually swept the boards for these awards, they cannot be debated in their game of the year claims.

And once again you've made a ridiculous claim, Batman has had better reviews that any Bethesda game? Dude, you're conversing with a hardcore gamer, I know what is fact or fiction. Fallout 3 was given perfect scores from most if not all sites across the internet, don't even try making shit up here...

Also, don't use sales figures in your original arguement then claim you don't care about them when the otherside shows you up on them.
For the record, Skyrim has 1.4 million PRE ORDERS. It's way on track to be the highest ever selling single player game in video game history on the first day of release, as in selling more copies TO DATE than any other game since their release.

We can be cocky about Skyrim's game of the year chances because, regardless of you "opinion" it is FAR AND AWAY the best game to be released this year.

1) I enjoy the Uncharted series more then anything Bathesda has released by a considerable margin that is a fact. I do not like role playing games either, that is also a fact. No where did I displayed bias, that is also a fact. Me liking Uncharted more, has no bearing on which game is going to win GOTY. It is out of my hands, having preference doesn't equate bias. No where in this thread did I say "Uncharted 3 will win GOTY, Skyrim can take second...". You see the difference? I have never displayed arrogance nor have I concluded that Uncharted 3 will win GOTY because it is a cinematic masterpiece, best graphics & epic set-pieces. All I seen in this thread is macmac and you (to a certain extent), make conclusions as to why Skyrim will win. Those conclusions are flawed.

2) To make a reliable and relevant conclusion, you must have information that has feedback and/or predictive value. Uncharted 2 is a more critically acclaimed game then anything Bathesda has produced. Check out megacritic or gamerankings for proof. Check out the user ratings, for proof. Uncharted 2 is the 2nd highest rated game on PS3 (behind only GTA 4) and is the 5th highest rated game only behind GTA 4, Ocarina of Time, Mario Galaxy 1 & 2. Fallout 3 is the highest rated from Bathesda, they are not even in the top ten. How's that for feedback? Naughty Dog have constructed a galary just so they can display all of their (40+) awards they received for Uncharted 2; including best graphics, best story & best characterization.

3) You're not an asshole, you're just ignorant. Uncharted 2 is more critically acclaimed then both Fallout 3 & Oblivion, or any other game Bathesda has ever produced. That is a fact, go review the scores each of those games received in their respective years. Although I agree, GOTY is rather a subjective topic; however, Uncharted 2 was head & shoulders above the rest in 09'. Ignoring all the awards they received in 2009; go find me a game that has received higher scores then Uncharted 2. Some of the best and more popular titles like Modern Warfare 2 (at best) received a higher score no more then 25% on all the sites that reviewed both games. They have completely dominanted in 2009; the fact you're promoting Bethesda's best titles and completely ignoring how much recognition Uncharted 2 received, does't make you an asshole, it just makes you uneducated and perhaps stubborn.

4) Arkham Asylum & Modern Warfare 2 won as many (if not more) awards?! Please, before you criticise someone, make sure you know the details. Now that I think about it, you might just be an asshole, and a pretty uneducated one at that.

5) Fallout 3 & Oblivion virtually swept their GOTY award?
The same Oblivion that was criticised by so many critics for lacking substance in their gameplay? For being an aesthetically provoking open world without much backbone? Yeah, okay buddy. Keep telling me fairytales, you haven't provided a single link to back-up your claims. All I need to do is show you all the scores critics gave to each of those games, and it wouldn't be that hard to see that Uncharted 2 received a substantially higher score. Last I checked they have a 96.4% score; Fallout 3 received a 93.5% score and that's Bathesta's highest rated game.

6) Arkham City is currently sitting at a 97 percentile on megacritics...
Which game has received better scores from Bathesta, exactly?

7) You really have trouble comprehending, do you? You still having trouble understanding why I mention sales revenues? Here, I'll break it down for you. Uncharted 2 has sold over 8 million copies, making them by far the leader in their particular genre. No other action-adventure game has been recognized and sold as many games as Uncharted 2 has. That makes them an outlier and clear favorite in their own respective genre. Not a single game from Bathesda I would consider the best RPG. I am positive most would pick Mass Effect 2 as the best RPG game of this generation. Their sales figures are significantly larger then Uncharted, but you're comparing apples to oranges. Compare their sales to Mass Effect 2 and you will realize their market share isn't as large as the Uncharted 2 in their own respective target group. Do you understand the point now?

8) Your last sentence basically concludes to me that you're a pompous ignoramus, that should be ignored. You basically attacked me for being "bias", yet you're proclaiming a game that has not even been released yet as the clear GOTY. Uhm, talk about being a hypocrite. Batman has a 96 score, Uncharted 3 is setting with a score of 94. No game that Bathesda has ever produced, has scored higher then either of these games. An objective person would conclude that Skyrim isn't some "clear-cut" game of the year, and are in fact, simply a candidate. Realistically speaking, probably aren't even the favorites. My money is on Zelda, Uncharted 3 or Arkham City. Why? Because historical data proves that fact. We can speculate all want, but I'm using an objective state of mind. If I was a betting man, I would bet on Naughty Dog (Uncharted 3) producing a better game because they already have in the past. I would bet on Arkham City because the game has been released already and received the highest of praise. I would bet on Zelda, because it's pretty much the center landmark of gaming (besides maybe Mario). Bathesda has never produced a single game that can compete with that; you boosting their stock doesn't mean they are. If they were, they would be sitting where those games are sitting; right at the top, Fallout 3/Oblivion are a tier down, that is a FACT.

We shall see though; Skyrim could very well win GOTY. They could end up being the #1 rated game of All-Time, but past results do not demonstrate to me that Bathesda has produced better games then Uncharted 2 or 3 or Arkham City.